-*> To Kilimanjaro with Prince Lowenstein 



destroyed by the heavy rains, and where we were genially 

 entertained by Herr Yeith, the very friendly and helpful 

 manager of the plantations ; then across Masinde, leaving 

 the caravan road upon the right ; and finally across 

 Mkomasi, now greatly swollen, and along the Rufu River 

 towards our provisional destination, Kilimanjaro. 



Rain had been falling in unusual quantities, and we 

 found the vegetable world in great luxuriance. It was 

 my seventh journey through this district, but it was only 

 the second time that I had found the vegetation in this 

 state ; I had generally known it in the dry season. 

 Far and wide the land was now covered with grass ; the 

 remarkable succulent plants were in full life, and the 

 grotesque monkey-bread trees adorned with leaves. Butter- 

 flies and hordes of other insects were to be seen in every 

 direction. 



It would be hard for a newcomer to realise that all 

 this organic life must disappear in a very short time, and 

 that the velt would spread out round us a barren, withered 

 plain. 



As the result of the rains, the health of the Europeans 

 was, as usual, very bad. All the resident officials of 

 the German East African Company had been obliged, 

 turn by turn, to go to the hospital. The temperature 

 reached 32 Celsius in the shade, never falling below 

 21 at night, when the south-easterly wind blew per- 

 sistently. 



We purchased large stores of provisions, sent about 

 eighty donkey-loads of maize on ahead, and continued 

 our march for some days up-stream. The animal world, 



6* 



